Primary Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissue ›› Bone Marrow ›› Abnormal

Ring Sideroblast*


Click Here for Full Size

---

› Microscopic Features:

• Size is variable depending on the stage of maturation
• nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio is variable depending on the stage of maturartion
• Round Nucleus
• Nucleoli are NOT visible
• Iron deposits are visualized with iron stain as blue granules (5 or more granules which encircles >1/3 of the nucleus)

› Normal % blood-PB, marrow-BM, lymphoid tissue-LN:

• PB: None
• BM: None
• LN: None

› May Resemble:

• Sideroblast is similar on iron stain but with less than 5 granules

› Differential Diagnoses:

Increased in: Zinc toxicity induced copper deficiency MDS (e.g. Refractory Anemia with Ring Sideroblast) States of iron overload such as hemochromatosis (sometimes)

› Classic Immunophenotype:

• CD45-
• CD117-
• CD235a (Glycophorin A) dim+
• CD71+
• Note: The immunoprofile can be variable and may show aberrancies

› Cartoon Image:


Click and drag

for direct comparison
› Misc:

• Normally no more than 5 siderosomes (inclusions) are present per cell. Hence, ring sideoblast is an Abnormal finding.